Jim Davidson talks about going from the low of Operation Yewtree to the high of winning Celebrity Big Brother

It is common knowledge that controversial comedian Jim Davidson has had a bumpy past few months, writes Jim Palmer.

He went from the deep lows of an Operation Yewtree arrest in relation to historic sex offences – he was released without charge – to the highs of winning the public vote in Celebrity Big Brother, and with it a pay day and the chance of career resurrection.

And when Freetime speaks to Jim Davidson he’s recovering from pneumonia.

He says: “I’m just getting over a bout of pneumonia, due to inhaling liquid into the lung.

“It was breathed in while doing a shot or something. You know when you’re choking and it affects your lung a bit? Anyway, I’m alright. I’ve got two lungs.”

The 60-year-old doesn’t know what shot it was that caused the illness.

The good news is that Jim’s on the mend and should be fine for his nationwide No Further Action tour.

The controversial comic says: “All last year while I was arrested and horribleness was going on, very few theatres wanted to know.

“These ones were the theatres that we booked or the ones that said ‘we don’t mind you playing here, Jim’.”

As for what parts of last year’s rollercoaster ride have made it into Davidson’s show, he is quite clear.

“All of it, really,” he says.

“You couldn’t make up what happened.

“January 2013 I was arrested by the Operation Yewtree people and I was sitting in a cell on January 2 and I should have been in the Big Brother house.

“A year later I was in the Big Brother house with Linda Nolan, and God I wished I was back in that cell.”

His arrest may have made him unbookable for a time, but the truth is his popularity has been on the wane for years, with critics labelling him a sexist, racist and homophobic throwback.

Jim says: “Sexist, I probably am a bit. But only on stage. If there’s women in the audience, I always talk about how I don’t know how to work them, and I haven’t got a clue.

“If that’s taken as sexist then fair enough, I can slightly hold my hand up to that one.

“Racist and homophobic? Oh, come on,” he sighs, presumably fed up of having to defend himself against the same allegation time and time again.

“Well, people have got to get up and see what's going on. Come and see me before you make up accusations.”

In winning Celebrity Big Brother, though, Jim has achieved some kind of redemption.

He says: “It was a horrible year and although the two are not linked it did make me think that the public voted for me and didn’t believe that nonsense and wanted to see me back on the television.

“I got the people’s vote. I’m the people’s comedian now, which is a real accolade to get, nevermind the critics or the people that went to university or the people who vote for the Labour party, the paid up Marxists.”

Jim Davidson – No Further Action; is at the Comedy Bunker in The Fairway, Ickenham Road, Ruislip on Thursday, July 3, from 7.30pm.